Hangingstones

Description

This carved area of bedrock, known as the Hangingstones, sits above the spar town of Ilkley in West Yorkshire, England. It was earmarked for quarrying in the 19th century when somebody noticed the strange markings. Luckily, the local squire recognising the importance saved it from the pick / dynamite. The carvings are generally thought to belong to the ‘cup and ring’ tradition, and believed to date from the late Neolithic – early Bronze-Age (approx 4000-6000years ago) - although, some think due to their odd design they may have been carved at a later period.